“Honestly, for this film, I wanted them to see everything. I wanted them to feel everything.”
Women in sports have had a much-needed and long-overdue spotlight shined on them this year, and I can’t think of a better way to end 2024 than with a film magnifying the name of one of this country’s unsung heroes: Claressa “T-Rex” Shields. At just 29, the Flint, Michigan native has built an enviable career in the boxing world, which includes not one but two Olympic gold medals, two world champion titles, 2018’s Female Fighter of the Year, the World’s Best Active Middleweight Female Fighter, Undisputed Female Middleweight title-holder between 2019 and 2024, and many more.
The Fire Inside explores Claressa’s life from when she first entered a boxing gym to her journey to becoming the first American woman to win gold in boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics. From childhood trauma to an unbreakable bond with her coach Jason Crutchfield, fans will get a taste of the remarkable fight Claressa held in her heart, as well as the mat. Blood, sweat, and tears were just a roadway to greatness for her.
Ryan Destiny portrays Claressa in this biographical drama, while Brian Tyree Henry stars as her trainer. Barry Jenkins adapted the screenplay from her 2015 documentary T-Rex, while Rachel Morrison made her directorial debut with the project.
I sat down with Claressa to learn more about the making of the film, her heartbreaking journey to the top, and more.
BuzzFeed: When were you first approached about turning your story into a movie? Was there anything you were hesitant about bringing to the screen?
Claressa Shields: The opportunity came two months before the 2016 Olympics. I received the email, and I responded to the email. I then made the phone calls and got in contact with everybody, but we didn’t get the contract and everything situated till a year after the Olympics. Well, after I won the Olympics again. So they sent the contract. There was no hesitation. I just want to have everything right in the contract and know what the story would be like — which part of my life would I be sharing? Which Olympics would we be focusing on? Is it going to go into my professional career or just my come-up? These are the questions I had to ask.
Barry Jenkins wrote the screenplay for The Fire Inside. What was it like working with him?
I didn’t have to do much work, and that just shows how great he is at what he does. We met and talked for about four hours. I asked him, “What is your perception of my life? Because if you’re going to write a story about my life, I need to know what you think first.” He gave me a spiel, and I told him, “Close, but let me tell you what my story was really about.” I told him where he got it right, where he got it wrong, or this is what you forgot, or this is what you overlooked, etc. Barry asked me a couple of follow-up questions and made sure that I was comfortable speaking about my sexual abuse and how I was raped when I was five.
Honestly, for this film, I wanted them to see everything. I wanted them to feel everything because I was not ashamed of what had happened to me. I’m not ashamed and I’m not a victim, I’m a victor. Two weeks or three weeks later, he sent me a script. He told me the script would only go through if I read and approved it because it’s my life. I read it three times and I thought it was great. We only had to make two changes, and he immediately rewrote those scenes over, and the rest is history. Barry’s such a great writer and person.
